Hollywood Mom's A Hit On Oprah's `Funniest'

December 30, 1998|BY KERTING TRUJILLO Special to the Sun-Sentinel

News flash! Joan Rivers, Mary Tyler Moore and Barbra Streisand are whipping up laughs on the south Broward County condo circuit these days. And impersonator Sharon Daniels is making sure they don't miss a cue.

"I can stay in Joan Rivers' character for hours. Can we talk?" said Daniels, boldly delivering Rivers' signature phrase.

Recently, this full-time mom had the opportunity to show off her repertoire on national television, when producers from Oprah Winfrey's show asked her to be a guest. The invitation came after Daniels responded to a call for tapes needed for a future production of "Oprah's Funniest Viewers."

"I told my husband, `We've got to do something,'" said Daniels, who produced a three-minute tape of her best impersonations for the audition. "The producers then called and said, `We loved your tape. We want you on the show.'"

Daniels flew to Chicago and her ability to switch voices in a breath and change costumes in a beat placed her at the top of the Nov. 20 show, making her the opening act.

"I loved it," Daniels said. "It was a real experience."

Her national appearance on Oprah has become a highlight in her life and in her resume, which is filled with memorable experiences over the years.

Daniels first discovered her passion for celebrity impersonations when she was in college and Streisand's Funny Girl was a hit movie.

Her friends encouraged her to pursue music and theater, but her heart told her to put Hollywood on hold. Instead, she married Sam Rothberg and raised three children, Jeremy, 25, Zachary, 18, and Marcus, 14.

It wasn't until 1986, when Marcus was 2 years old and the family was living in Hollywood -- Florida, that is -- that Daniels decided to give impersonations another try. Her husband, who is a full-time stockbroker, began moonlighting as her manager.

"She's the one with all the talent," said Rothberg.

Daniels started recording television commercials and radio voice-over spots for car dealerships, impersonating Joan Rivers, Katharine Hepburn or any lady of entertainment in her repertoire. She did the comedy club scene for some time, but soon realized that unless she started traveling, jobs were scarce.

Oprah herself seemed pretty impressed.

"Good, Sharon. Mother of three," Oprah said during the show. "Thank you so much. ... I know we were sitting in the office cracking up over your tapes."